Why Won't They
Wash?
I sat in the doctor’s
office in the chair while the patient sat on the paper covered table waiting
for the doctor. The doctor burst through the door in her usually
perky voice and said “Hi, how are you today”.
“Not happy” I told
her. She stopped, turned to me, and asked “why”?
“Because” I told her,
“No one here washes their hands”. The woman earlier who took
the patients blood pressure and stuck a pulse oximeter on the patient’s finger
didn’t wash. When I asked her about washing her hands, she showed me
that there is no sink in the room, and said she washes her hands outside the
room. I watched her open the door in the lobby and again in the exam
room. She touched the computer and other things with still had no
intention of washing her hands before touching the patient. So, each
time she touched the patient I wiped the patient’s skin down with antibacterial
wipes. The oximeter, which she pulled out of her pocket went back in
after it left the patient’s finger. I would have liked to see it
wiped down before or after or both.
The doctor said she will
absolutely use the antibacterial lotion in the room. She made no excuses and
did not make light of my request. When she went to get someone in to
take the patient’s blood, I asked her to send someone who washes their
hands. She said she would and promised to inform all of them that
they need to wash.
I’m guessing other
patients are not reminding staff to wash. I get they might forget;
it might be inconvenient but there are germs in the doctor’s office. and out of
respect, don’t you think medical staff should be cleaning their hands before
touching a patient? This was the second time in a week I was in that
office, and I have never seen them use the antibacterial lotion in the
room. As a courtesy to the patient, I did not say anything in the
past. At another doctor’s office last week when I asked the staff to
wash, she asked me “do you want me to change my gloves too?” I told
her yes. She did.
I am not trying to be
annoying, but I am concerned that medical staff are comfortable not
washing. The basic infection prevention tool for anyone and now in
the medical office, where there are known germs, someone wants to touch a
patient without washing first? This is not only about the germs that
can cause infection and illness but the lack of respect. According
to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), on
average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times
they should. And one in 31 hospital patients has at least one
healthcare-associated infection (HAI).[i]
If the loss of human
life doesn’t help you take this seriously, how about the cost. The overall direct cost of HAIs to hospitals ranges
from US$28 billion to 45 billion[ii] Germs don’t move themselves. Germs depend on people,
the environment, and/or medical equipment to move in healthcare settings.[iii]
Germs are found in the
healthcare environment. Examples of environmental sources of germs include: Dry
surfaces in patient care areas (e.g., bed rails, medical equipment,
countertops, and tables)[iv]
These days we know
healthcare professionals are understaffed and overworked and may forget to wash
their hands but its not OK and patients, their caregivers or advocates must
speak up and help them remember.
